the boys next door
by TheLifeofaGhost
Summary: HUMANVERSE. Caroline is roped into family drama as well as a quasi-love triangle after being booked to plan the birthday of a high profile socialite. Too bad her clients and new love interests both happen to be her neighbors. One with an extreme sexual apatite and the other who can't seem to keep her for himself. Klaus/Caroline/Kol triangle. minor Caroline/Damon. mention of C/T.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** HUMAN fic. Because I enjoy reading stories about these particular ships, I had to write one of my own.

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose  
A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore  
A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active  
She looks good  
The girl's attractive

_**The Girl's Attractive**, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**I**

It was the noise—the constant_ fucking_ noise—that had gotten to her. And not the kind that she could very well ignore, like a blaring stereo or raving party that she _hadn't_ been invited to. No. It was the kind a woman _in heat_ made, and since she hadn't been getting any since her break-up with Tyler—_fucking cheater_—she viewed it as cruel and _unusual_ punishment to have to lay in bed night after goddamn night listening to different women, cause they never sounded quite the same, getting her neighbor's rocks off. A neighbor who'd moved in only a week ago, of whom she had _yet _to meet.

_Looks I'm going to now_, she though as she pushed back the sheets that had offered her comfortable warmth. The blond slid her feet into the blue, bunny slippers situated at the side of her bed, padding across the hardwood floor of her studio flat, and out the front door.

She brought a balled up fist to the door of **32B**, pounding loud enough so that she would be heard over the _very_ loud moaning coming from inside the flat. She took a step back, listening closely as the noise silenced for a moment at her knocking. There was a scuffling of feet and then the front door swung open. Standing in the entrance was her new neighbor.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him, falling to his bare chest—down to his lean form, noting the fact that he had a towel secured around his waist. She cleared her throat, returning her attention to his face. He wore a slightly confused expression—most likely wondering why she'd interrupted his little sex fest.

"_Hi_, I'm Caroline," She began, using the politest tome she could muster; because, really—it was hard to keep a straight face when he was looking at her with those baby blues. "I live in **32A**."

The man tilted his head, staring down at her, most likely wonder _why_ she was standing at his front door so late in the night.

"Niklaus," He said, offering a smile, revealing cute _dimples. _"Mates call me Nik."

_Fuck_—he had an accent. She tried not to swoon at the lush sound of his voice, dripping to her ears like honey.

"Well, _Nik_, I don't mean to bother you," Caroline started, ushering out _bitch mode_ Care—because she got things done, "but for the past week I have been unable to get any sleep."

"_Sorry_?" The man said, unsure what that had to do with him.

The blond sighed, "I _mean_ the sex. The walls are paper thin here."

"_Oh…_" He exclaimed in understanding. "You'd have to talk to my brother about that. Sorry, love."

Brother? As in _another_ man living on her floor with an accent? Her luck could only be so _bad._

An awkward silence fell over them for a moment.

"Who's this _tasty_ little thing?" Another accented voice spoke up from behind Nik. The blond peaked over his shoulder, eyes landing on a young brunet. He had a sly smirk on his face as he took her appearance in, eyes trailing over her body.

She flushed, recalling she'd only been wearing a blue t-shirt and flannel, pajama shorts when she'd gone to bed. The heat of _another_ set of eyes drew her attention away from inside the flat. Nik's gaze had fallen to her long, slender legs.

"_Caroline_." The blond offered as the man peered down at her. He was _definitely_ attractive—bare-chest offering yet another remarkable view. He smirked at her, an air of cockiness about him that was a bit off-putting. Something she'd let slid in Tyler.

"I'm Kol Mikaelson." He said, affectively drawing his brother's attention away from her for the moment.

"So _you're _the one that has a different girl, coming in and out of your flat_ every_ night." It was easy for her being hostile toward a guy that reminded her of her ex. The one that _cheated_ on her with some waitress that worked at Mystic Grill in Virginia—before she'd decided on moving out to England.

"Guilty," Kol chuckled, raising a brow at her. Her expression had morphed into one of annoyance.

"Look, you're new so you don't quite understand, yet," Caroline bit out, looking between the two brothers, trying not to reach over Nik and strangle Kol, "I'm _your_ neighbor. The walls are _paper thin_. I _can't_ get any sleep with the constant screaming going on. Keep it down."

And with that she turned on her heel, retreating back into the sanctuary of her loft. She ignored Kol's final remark of: "Well, isn't she a _feisty_ little thing_." _as it echoed throughout the hall.

:}{}{}{}{:

"You said that?" Elena asked in surprise over coffee the next morning.

The blond had told her two closest friends about the incident. Choosing to breeze over the fact the both of the brothers were smoking hot and very English. The brunette knew how her friend could be when she didn't get her sleep. Hell, she'd been on the receiving end of a few of her bitch-fits. Yet, they were _still_ incredible friends. They wouldn't have moved to England together if they weren't.

Bonnie snorted in laughter at the story of the noisy neighbor. She'd never really had that problem. She still lived with her Grams in Virginia—and had _yet_ to mention he-who-must-not-be-named.

Caroline nodded, taking a sip of her cappuccino. "I _needed_ my eight hours. I have an event to plan for some high profile client."

"We're still going out for drinks after, right?" Bonnie inquired, lazy smile on her face. "I'm only in town for another week and then it's back to good ol' Mystic Falls."

The blond smiled brightly. "Of course, Bon. I just have a meeting with this client and then I'm all yours."

Elena beamed, eyeing the two with an all too familiar look. "So, were they cute?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, trying to play off the fact the Gilbert was still trying to get her to play the dating game again. Truthfully, after Tyler's infidelity, the _idea _ of being with another man—giving him that emotional power over her_—did not_ seem like the ideal start of her new, independent lifestyle. Her friends didn't understand. They both had faithful boyfriends. After dating for over six years, there was _no way_ Matt was even _contemplating_ cheating on his dream girl—which was bittersweet, seeing as how his best friend was her ex. And Jeremy, hell, he _knew_ he was quite fucking lucky having such a hot, older girlfriend in Bonnie.

She pursued her lips, looking between the two. "Oh, most _definitely_. And…they have _accents_."

The two _oohed_ and _awed_ at her statement. Of course they would. They were American women after all. Nothing won them over more than a cute face and sexy accent.

"You're telling me you live next door to _two_ English hotties, one of which is an apparent sex addict, and you haven't tried hooking up with either of them?" Bonnie asked in a tone that could only be described as a mixture of disappointment and bewilderment.

"There are more important things in life than sex." Caroline argued, though the moment the words left her lips she wanted to laugh. Not likely.

Elena scoffed, nose crinkling up in thought. "Is this about Tyler? Are you still hung up on that asshole?"

It was rare for a curse to ever leave the girl's lips but, it was hard to deny the fact that she was telling the truth. A little part of Caroline's relationship issue did involve the boy she'd _thought_ she was going to marry. How could she trust anyone else with her heart after such a big let down?

"No." The blond sighed, running a hand through her hair. Her eyes caught a glimpse of her watch, noting the time. "Shit!"

She shot out of her seat, surprising her two companions. "What is it?" Elena and Bonnie asked at the same time, wearing mirror worried expressions.

"I'm late."

:}{}{}{}{:

"Thank goodness you're here." Lexi exclaimed the moment she stepped inside the main lobby of their building. The slightly, older blond stood in her four-inch heels, relieved smile on her face as Caroline approached.

"Where's the fire?" She asked as they made their way toward the elevators.

"No fire," Lexi chuckled lightly, pressing down the button for the second floor until it lit up. "I was just _hoping _that my _best_ friend would be kind enough to take me out tonight so that I may get _royally_ wasted and avoid the awkwardness of being stuck in my loft with _nothing_ to do while Damon parades around his newest girlfriend."

"Oh, what's her name this time?" Caroline inquired. She was quite familiar with the Salvatore's fleeting love interests. She sometimes wondered how he could _ever_ be related to Stefan—who had been experiencing a drought when it came to the relationship department. Much like her; which was why she enjoyed tagging along with him and Lexi to local pubs and drowning her sorrows.

"Andie _Star_, some investigative journalist from America." Lexi mocked as they entered _**Pearl's Events & Planning**_. "_Anyway_, where are you taking me out tonight?"

"_I_ am having drinks with Bonnie and Elena." Caroline informed her, sliding her keycard through the scanner and unlocking the door to her small, but quaint office. "_You_ can join us, if you want."

A grin crossed Lexi's face as she nodded her head. "I'm_ so_ in. Anything to get away from Damon 'the gigolo' Salvatore."

The blonds held back laughter as Anna—boss ladies daughter—poked her head inside Caroline's office. She worked as Pearl's assistant, which was a position no one else was really looking to fill. The pretty brunette offered a toothy smile.

"You're eleven o'clock is here, Caroline." Anna reported brightly, a familiar glint of mischief in her dark eyes as she stared at the girl with an expression that could be identified as jealously. "And he's a looker."

"Why do you always get the cute ones?" Lexi inquired jokingly as the blond ushered her out of her office, taking a seat behind her desk and plastering on her most professional expressions.

"Thank you, Anna. Send him in." Caroline muttered, looking over the memo that had been left on her desk by Pearl about this particular client.

_Very wealthy. Don't screw this up!_

"Well, that's encouraging." She mumbled to herself, balling the post-it note in her hand and tossing it in her trash bin.

"Miss Forbes?" A _very_ familiar voice called from the doorway, a knock sounding shortly after. Her head snapped up, eyes locking on a familiar set of dark eyes that could _only _serve to drown her. He looked a bit startled to see her, probably not expecting his snappy next-door neighbor to be his event planner. Hell, it wasn't as if she'd been expecting her new client to be the man with the unusual sexual appetite.

"Mr. Mikaelson…what can I do for you?" Caroline inquired, in her business savvy tone. His lips quirked, turning up into a toothy grin.

"You're my event planner?" Kol exclaimed in wonder, sliding into the seat opposite her. She had tried to forget the way his lean, muscular body looked without clothes on, but even with clothes it was a pretty _pleasant_ picture. He looked dapper in dark, grey slacks, and a black, button-down shirt.

_This was the wealthy client_, she wondered to herself, trying her best _not_ to let her eyes wonder over him as he sat before her.

"It would seem like it." The blond said more firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in her seat. There was _no way_ she would allow herself to feel put-off in her own office. "So, what can I do for you, _Mr. Mikaelson._"

He studied her for a moment before answering. "I want to throw a big, birthday bash for my baby sister."

She raised a brow at that. Truthfully, that won him some brownie points in her book. It was kind of _sweet_ that he was doing this for his little sister. Somewhat endearing. _"Oh."_

"Yes, she's coming back from a year stay in America." Kol informed her, his accent making his words—innocent in nature—seem all the more appealing to her ears.

"That's _sweet_ of you." The blond said, eyeing him carefully. Yes—she had serious trust issues after being cheated on, and yes they sometimes pooled into her work. How could she throw a proper party when she was suspicious of the person she was planning it for?

"Yes, I missed her_ dearly_." He sighed, bringing a hand to rest over his heart.

"Kol!"

The voice made him jump from his seat, eyes darting to the entrance to her office where yet again another familiar face stood. "I'm sorry for the intrusion—_Caroline?_"

The blond looked between the two brothers in confusion. Nik's gaze narrowed on the younger man as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"What's going on?" She asked placing her hands on her hips as she stood her ground; lips set in a thin line.

"I'm sorry, love." Nik said gently, turning his attention to her for a moment as he spoke. "This meeting was meant for _me._ It seems Kol did not get that message."

"I thought you needed some extra sleep Niklaus." Kol responded jestingly, habitual smirk on his face. "I can handle this transaction on my own."

The younger man sent Caroline a charming smile she was sure served to rid countless women of their clothes. She'd dated the captain of the football team; charm wasn't going to work on her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes.

"Miss Forbes, I'm sorry from my brother's…antics. I promise you, it was not my intention when I made this 'll have to excuse him, please."

His _voice_—she swallowed. Caroline nodded curtly, returning to her seat as the man claimed the one Kol had abandoned. She was glad the moment she sat down; she'd been close to going weak in the knees at the sweet lull of his accent.

"Of course." Caroline said, running a hand through her loose, blond curls. "Now, how about we get started."

She ignored the lingering stare of Kol on her as she turned her full attention to the older of the two. It wasn't as if he wasn't staring at her unnervingly as well. The only difference was, he _did not_ remind her of her ex—and by default garnered some immediate semblance of interest.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** Pandora was very kind to me and made writing the chapter much easier. I start school in a couple weeks, so I probably won't be able to update with as much frequency as I would like, but I should probably be able to do at least two updates a week if time allows.

Someone asked about the characters ages:

_Klaus/Damon (30)_

_Kol/Stefan (26)_

_Caroline/Elena/Bonnie/Matt (25)_

_Jeremy (23)_

_Rebekah/Anna (21)_

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose  
A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore  
A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active  
She looks good  
The girl's attractive

_**The Girl's Attractive**, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**II**

She downed to contents of her shot glass, ignoring the prying eyes of her three companions as they occupied their usual booth, at their _usual_ spot—_**Lucy's Bar & Grill**_. Her meeting with _both_ Mikaelsons was nerve-wrecking to say the least. Having the attention of two _very_ attractive Englishmen, their eyes following her every move. She'd suppressed the urge countless a time to reach over the table and pull one of them into a nice _long_ kiss. Which one, however, had yet to be decided.

"_Well?_" Elena inquired, drawing out the single word with such frustration. Of course, Lexi had been the one to spill the beans about the two gorgeous men that had been in her office for over an hour, longer than a usual primary sit down when event planning. The older blond had been insistent that _something_ other than business had been going on in the woman's office.

Caroline set her glass down, looking from Elena to Bonnie—who wore a look of interest, to Lexi, a too-wide smile on her face. This was the _last_ thing she wanted to be talking about with her girlfriends on their night out. Hell, if _anything_ she'd rather be talking about Tyler, at least then she'd know _exactly_ she felt on the matter. "You're planning an event for them, too?"

Caroline sighed, nodding in response. "They want to throw a birthday party for their baby sister."

A chorus of _awes_ rang out among the girls. God, they were _too_ easy to please sometimes. The blond rolled her eyes.

"Again, why haven't you hooked up with one of them out?" Bonnie asked, raising a brow in thought. They were on _this_ subject, again. It was a simple question, but behind it there were too many hurtful memories.

"I'm _don't_ date clients." Caroline said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back into the cushiony seat.

"Who said _anything_ about _dating_ them?" Lexi inquired good-naturedly with that _ridiculously_ large smile, before downing a shot of whiskey.

"We're talking about _sex_, Care." The brunette spoke up, picking up where the older blond had left off. It was unusual for the Gilbert to be to one to insinuate having_ meaningless_ sex with a man—she'd been with _one_ guy for the majority of her life.

"Well, I'm not having _sex_ with either of them." Caroline interjected, collecting their now empty shot glasses on the round tray they'd arrived on. Not that she hadn't _imagined_ it…she shook her head, returning her attention to the girl. "And I'm going to get us more shots."

She stood up, taking the tray with her toward the bar. She disregarded their calls that she was _avoiding _the subject in favor of retreating to the bar and returning the array of glasses they'd downed. The barkeep offered her a smile, accepting the platter graciously before disappearing to the other end of the bar to fix her and her friends some more drinks.

The blond leaned against the bar, peeking behind her to where the girls were now talking amongst themselves. She sighed, letting her eyes drift down to her feet—still regretting the fact that she had decided on wearing her 3-inch, black Jimmy Choo booties, a gift she'd bought for herself after her break-up.

"_Caroline._" His voice filled her ears, pulling her from admiring her shoes, with slight disdain. God, could she get a break? Was it too much to ask for a second without having to deal with—

"Mr. Mikaelson," Caroline greeted as kindly as she could, eyeing him wearily as he approached; taking up the empty seat beside her.

His smile faltered for a moment, before it returned with a new intensity. "Please, call me Nik."

_Why did everything he say have to sound so goddamn sexy_, she wondered as he motioned for the bartender with the swift wave of his hand. "Two shots of whatever the lady is having."

If _any _other man had said that, she was sure she would have called him a completely tool; but with that _accent_ it just sounded _so_ right.

"Mr. Mika—_Nik_," She corrected herself as the barkeep slid two shots of whiskey their way. "I really have to get back—"

"Come on, love. Join me for a drink." Nik said, blue eyes-green eyes pleading. Why was she so weak when it came to them? With a sigh she conceded, sliding into the seat beside his.

"_One_ drink." She said firmly, finger tracing over the rim of the tall shot glass.

"Just _one_." He smiled, dimples overwhelming her with their perfection. It there was a god, he was definitely trying to tempt her with this prime male real-estate. They raised their glasses, tapping them together gently before downing the contents.

:}{}{}{}{:

Her head was pounding. She brought a hand to her temple, rubbing it gently as she sat up—in bed? Wait, she'd fallen asleep on her couch.

"What happened?" The blond wondered aloud, trying to recall what happened when she'd went out with her friends. They'd been catching up, and then the subject had drifted on to her love life—or well, her lack of a _sex_ life. And then…Mr. Mikae—Nik had shown up and they'd shared a drink. But after that, she drew a blank.

Caroline's eyes swept across her flat, noting one _very _important fact. She was definitely_ not_ in her flat. The space was too big to be hers. The couch she lay on, she realized, probably cost more than all the furnishings of her own abode. Her heart skipped a beat for a moment, eyes falling over her frame. Yep, she was missing a few important articles of clothing. Like her _pants_. And the sequence blouse she'd been wearing. In their place, a long shirt that had the definitive smell of _male_…a dimpled, amazing lipped male.

_God, did we have sex_, she marveled as any women in her current predicament would.

His shirt barely reached mid-thigh on her. She stood up slowly, hand flying to her head as a sharp pain soared to her temple.

"_Easy now_, sweetheart." Her head snapped in the direction of the sound, eyes widening at the appearance of the younger Mikaelson. He wore a lazy smile—and _nothing_ else. Or hand flew to cover her eyes as she turned in shock, giving him her back. Which was a problem within itself. His naked form would forever be seared into her brain. It would forever taunt her with naughty thoughts that in _no way_ reflected her view on the man. "You had _a lot_ to drink last night."

"Whe—where is Nik?" Caroline got out, voice faltering as his grew closer. She swore she could feel his breath at the nape of her neck but pushed that paranoia aside.

He was silent for a moment. "In the kitchen. Making coffee, for the hangover."

She nodded in understanding. Maybe nothing had happened? Maybe Nik had simply played the role of friendly neighbor and brought her home, effectively relieving her friends of _Drunk Caroline _duty. Hell, they were neighbors after all.

**::::::**

_His touch was searing hot against her warm flesh. The way his fingers danced across her bare shoulder—the slightest of grazes. Her hazy blue orbs locked on his, enjoying the sensation of him pressed against her. He dipped his head down, capturing her lips in a tantalizing kiss; pushing his tongue past her parting lips with ease, the hint of whiskey on her breath. The blond moaned into his mouth, hands running—yanking, at his hair, bringing his head down to meet hers with fervent need. _

_He pressed her into the elevator wall, hand trailing down her side. His fingers dug into her hip as he pressed his erection against her warm heat, trapped beneath her pair of skinnies. She raised a leg, wrapping it around his waist, effectively pressing them closer together._

_Ding, the elevator sounded._

**::::::**

"You're up." Nik's voice spoke up brightly, as he entered the room. He paused mid-step, eyes narrowing on his nude brother, standing only a few feet behind a turned Caroline. "Kol, _leave us_."

There was an uneasy silence in the air, the blond missing the silent exchange between the brothers before the younger Mikaelson finally decided to return to his room.

"You may turn around now." The man informed her. She turned around hesitantly, still half-expecting to see a naked Kol standing before her—not that it wasn't a pleasant picture. The man was _very_ well endowed. "Again, I am sorry for my brother…_here._"

He extended out a warm mug, offering it up with a generous smile. Caroline stared at it for a moment before accepting. She was silent as she took a few sips trying her best to ease her nerves.

"We didn't have sex…" Klaus spoke up; voicing the answer to the question she'd been readying herself to ask. "…I would have let you into your flat, but it seems _Bonnie_—I think it was—took your keys and forgot to return the house key."

"Oh." Was all the woman said. Her friends had trusted him to take her home…again, they were _too_ easy to please.

"She came by this morning while you were sleeping to return it." He informed her, pulling out a familiar set of keys from the front pocket of his jeans. He set them down on the coffee table for her to take.

"Who—did you change my clothes?" Caroline asked bluntly, as it has been weighing on her mind since she'd noticed. The man's lips quirked, dimples coming out to play. He shook his head.

"_Kol?_"

Nik shook his head yet again, a playful glint in his eyes as he spoke. "No. I believe you did. You said it was far _too_ hot in this flat."

A flush crept on her cheeks. Embarrassing. She brought a hand to her lips, holding back the laughter that wanted to come roaring out. This was the outcome of a string of such _ridiculous_ things happening to her. This was the first time in almost a year that she'd woken up in another man's flat. Nik though, didn't seem all that bothered by it.

"I am _so sorry_." Caroline mumbled from behind her hand, cheeks growing red at his stare. There was definite interest behind it.

"Not a problem, love. I had a wonderful time." There was such sincerity behind his voice. She wanted to beat her head over with a _fucking_ brick, like she knew Elena and Bonnie would like to do when she learned she _didn't _ have sex with the sexy English _gentleman_ that lived next door. "Maybe we could…do it agai—"

"Look, _Nik,_ you seem like a pretty decent guy and everything, but I just got out of a relationship. I'm not looking to jump into another one." The blond rattled off quickly, scooping up her keys and setting the mug of coffee down. Before he could respond she moved, retreating out the front door of his apartment and into hers.

A familiar chuckle sounded from behind him. Nik turned, eyes narrowing when they fell on his brother—the one who'd interrupted him and the blond the other name, effectively ending the begins of sex.

"She turned you down, Nik?" Kol inquired with feigned shock, mocking grin on his face. "I guess this means she's fair game."

Niklaus growled, face contorting into one that was both annoyed and angry. "Shut up, Kol."

The man stormed past his brother, slamming his bedroom door behind him.

"Don't be such a baby, Nik." He heard his brother call out from the other side of the door. The blond was right. The walls _were_ paper thin. He sighed, falling back into his bed. His mind swam over the events that had transpired last night.

He'd managed to get Caroline to have a drink with him. Which then turned into two, then three. And on—he'd lost count after their fifth shot of whiskey. Her friends had come by, all seeming to know who he was. He accredited that to the other blond that had been among them; he'd recognized her from _**Pearl's**__**Events & Planning**_.

He asked them if it was okay if he took the woman home, seeing as how they lived in the same building. They'd been hesitant at first, unsure if they could _completely_ trust a man they hardly knew. But after reassuring them he _wasn't_ some psycho killer they relented.

They'd been on the elevator when she began babbling about how attractive he was…how much she'd like to kiss his _oh so perfect_ lips. He couldn't hold back any longer. He pounced, kissing every inch of bare, creamy white skin he could reach.

**::::::**

_His heart pounded in his chest as she pressed him against his front door, affectively trapping him. She hovered for a moment, peering up into his stormy, blue eyes; he dipped his head, capturing her mouth in a rough kiss. She nibbled gently on his bottom lip, grinding her hips against his; eliciting a groan as the man's hand found the door knob, turning it in his palm and ushering them inside._

"_You are really good at this." The blond murmured as she pulled away for air, hands resting on his chest. He grinned, hand capturing her chin and bringing her back down for another scorching kiss. She rubbed against him, running her hands through his hair as the friction between their jean-clad groins eased the coil turning in their stomachs. _

"_What is this?" Kol voiced from where he sat in the living room, smug expression on his face as the couple broke apart. He couldn't be more ecstatic about interfering in his brother's attempt at bedding the snarky blond he'd set his eye one. He stood up, tossing the remote to the telev down onto the plush comfort of the white suede sofa. "Am I interrupting something?"_

:}{}{}{}{:

Caroline pushed past the man into the familiar apartment.

"Well, good morning to you too, Blondie." Damon greeted snidely, closing the door behind him as he'd been the first of the three living there to answer. If there was one thing she was trying to avoid that morning, it was the Italian who _enjoyed_ invading her personal space. She'd like to blame it on cultural differences but Stefan was never like that. Not in the time that she'd known him…but then maybe that was because _Drunk Stefan_ had never made an appearance when she was around.

"Where's Lexi?" She asked flatly, ignoring his quip. She was definitely not in the mood, this early, to deal with his half-hearted advances. They had started when Lexi had first invited her over to meet her roommates, hoping to set her up with Stefan—before they realized they were _basically_ the same person. Kindred spirits.

"She went out with some guy…Lee—I think was his name." The Salvatore informed her, shrugging his shoulders; following after her as she trailed into the kitchen. She turned on the coffee maker, readying to prepare another brew to quell the pounding in her head.

"_Stefan?_" She asked hopefully. The man was _always_ good with giving advice. Even if he couldn't follow his own at times.

Damon shook his head, leaning in the archway of the kitchen entrance, watching her carefully. "Is something wrong, Care?" God, whenever he used her nickname it meant he was interested in hearing whatever it was that was on her mind. And that usually had her spilling her guts. He was _that_ good.

"I—I might have…_hooked-up_…with a client, last night," The blond stammered, closing her eyes and waiting for whatever sarcastic comment the man would make. Instead a laugh escaped the Salvatore's lips.

"Might have? Either you did or you didn't Caroline." He said more firmly, composing himself.

"Okay. We might have made-out a bit, but that was _as far_ as it went." She sighed, pouring herself a cup of coffee as the maker sounded that it was ready. "But, I was _drunk._ Obviously, _not_ thinking clearly."

"Or _maybe_ you were thinking as clearly as you've ever been." Damon countered, eyes following her as she brought the warm mug to her lips. "_Maybe_ you did _exactly_ what you _wanted_ to do last night, without letting your past emotions get in the way."

He was talking about Tyler. That much was obvious. Had that been what she was doing? Using her fear of another Tyler-incident keep her from pursuing other guys…fear that she would _never_ be good enough for any other man. Like she _apparently_ hadn't been for the Lockwood.

_God, maybe Damon was right,_ she thought, eyeing the man as a knowing expression crossed his handsome features. She _hated_ when the man was right.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** Pandora was very kind to me and made writing the chapter much easier. I start school in a couple weeks, so I probably won't be able to update with as much frequency as I would like, but I should probably be able to do at least two updates a week if time allows.

Someone asked about the characters ages:

Sorry I forgot to add:

_Tyler (25 as well)_

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose

A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore

A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active

She looks good

The girl's attractive

**_The Girl's Attractive_**_, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**III**

So maybe,just _maybe_ Damon was on to something. Maybe she was using her horrible breakup with Tyler as an _excuse_ not to pursue other men—more specifically either of the Mikaelson brothers. It seemed to everyone around her that it was the _logical_ thing to do…to have _sex_ with one of them. In Lexi's case _both_, even. A ridiculous notion when she heard the suggestion. But…maybe there was more to it than that. She'd been watching her friends' relationships thrive while hers crumbled under her feet. She was scared, the blond would admit…scared to give her heart to someone new, _only_ to have them take _another _piece of her; as Tyler had done when he confessed to his infidelity.

His admittance was a way to cleanse him of the guilt that had been eating away at him. He asked that she forgive him—accept that it would _never_ happen again and believe that he loved her. But…how could she _trust_ him again, after having done that to her? Caroline had been crushed when she told him that it was _over_. Told him _never_ to contact her again.

He'd gotten the message.

Now, it seemed, she still hadn't quite closed the chapter of her life on Tyler. But she was _ready_ to. She _needed_ to.

Caroline sighed, pulling her cellar to her ear as its ringing broke her train of thought.

"Hello?" She spoke into it, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Matt is here!" A _very_ familiar voice exclaimed from the other end. So it had been Elena that had won in her little game of phone-Russian roulette.

The blond smiled at the news. The Donovan boy _had_ been saving up to come visit his girlfriend. Hell, she was fairly certain the only thing keeping him from moving across the pond to be with Elena was the fact that _someone_ had to take care of his druggie sister; which just proved how _good_ of a guy Matt Donovan was.

"That's great, Elena." Caroline said brightly, shuffling across the floor of her flat and plopping down onto her cot. "When did he get here?"

"This morning..." The brunette explained, voice wavering for a moment as if there was something she wished to add. After a moment she continued with a more chirpy tone. "We're going out to _**Vive**_tonight."

"Oh." Caroline mumbled, recalling having read a review on the local night club. It had been given four out of five stars for its impeccable DJ and bar. She'd wanted to go since its opening day, but had never found the time to. "Sounds like fun."

"Great." Elena got out. It definitely felt as if she was in a rush to get off the phone, which was usually _never_ the case with her. "Meet you there at nine."

And with that she hung up; not giving the blond an opportunity to add further comment or question why she sounded so strangely. There was something in Elena's tone…indicating something was _wrong_. She just didn't know what it was.

:}{}{}{}{:

All day she could not shake the feeling that something _bad _was going to happen. Not bad in the sense of breaking to heel of her favorite pair of Prada pumps. No…it was worse. She hadn't seen it coming when she'd locked her flat door behind her before making her way to the elevators. _Those_ elevators…the ones she'd made-out with Nik inside only the night before. She pressed the down button, silently wondering what could have happened to the Gilbert to have her behaving so _unlike_ herself. Distant.

That's when it happened. _They_ appeared. Not simply _one _of them—because she could deal with them one at a time. But together…it was like god was _punishing_ her. She remained still as they approached the elevators, the _ding_ sounding and the doors opening. They swept past her, entering and turning inside the _tiny_ space to face her, wearing mirrored expressions of amusement.

"Going down?" Kol inquired, brow raised with interest. She didn't miss the double meaning in his words, nor the fact that Nik had yet to say a thing to her since she'd practically _ran_ away from him and his advances.

The blond swallowed, nodding slowly before entering after them. The doors slowly slid shut behind her. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she felt two sets of eyes trailing over her form appreciatively. So she'd dressed up to go to _**Vive**_—a little black dress that had been gifted to her on her birthday by Lexi, urging her to go out in it and get laid. It exposed her nicely toned legs…if there was _one_ thing she had; it was _amazing_ legs that could captivate almost any man. But the ample cleavage her dress provided gave way to _another_ perfect thing to look at.

"You look…_nice_." Nik got out, voice strange to her ears as if it had been a struggle for him to say that. She tried not to feel saddened by the fact the man _wasn't_ being more forward with his complements…not that she was interested in how he thought she looked. But—she sighed. She was being ridiculous. It _didn't_ matter how he view her, she decided.

Kol, however, was not even trying to _hide_ that fact that he thought she looked _delicious_ enough to eat—his eyes practically fucked her as they danced across her body. She saw Nik smack his brother over the head from her peripheral, mouth set in a line. The blond suppressed the urge to laugh when the younger Mikaelson turned to stare at his brother with a definite scowl firmly in place.

_Maybe_ this _wasn't_ what the bad thing she'd been waiting for to happen.

"Where are you going dressed like _that_?" Kol finally spoke up; ignoring the heated glare Niklaus were sending his way.

"I—uh—a new club." She got out, gazing ahead of her, willing the doors to slide open and grant her an escape from the testosterone filled elevator. And, like a genie being sprung from its bottle the doors parted and she was out of there before either of them could add anything further to that _awkward_ conversation.

So she was a weenie when it came to Englishmen…but, wasn't _every_ other girl?

:}{}{}{}{:

It hadn't taken much to get entrance from the bouncer, who'd taken _one long _look at her dress, offered a creepy leer and nodded his balding head in approval. Caroline wondered if the ogling was really necessary or just a part of the job description when being a bouncer.

_**Vive**_...well the _only_ thing she could say when she entered was _wow._ It was more incredible than she could have imagined. There was a large platform crowded with patrons dancing and grinding on one another in an almost _animalistic_ way. Her eyes moved across the crowded space, searching for Elena and Matt.

She caught sight of the brunette huddling at a small table only a few feet away from her. Caroline called out to her over the noise of the club, raising a hand in a short wave before making her way over to the Gilbert.

"Don't be mad." Elena said quickly as the blond approached. Caroline's face contorted into one of confusion—thrown off by her friend's words.

Why would she be mad? That's when it _truly_ hit her…like a ton of bricks.

"What are you talking about, Elena?" She inquired sharply, expression hard as she stared back into the brunette's guilt ridden face.

"I _didn't_ know he was going to bring him." Elena said in a flurry of words.

_Him? _She hoped the girl _didn't_ mean who she thought she meant. That's when she heard a pair of familiar voices. One, _obviously_ Matt. Both drawing closer to their table. The other—a chill crept up her spine at the sound. It had been a voice she hadn't heard in a while…one that had been able to get her do _anything_ in the past. Now, only a reminder of the one person she had trusted completely with her heart only to have him rip it out of her chest.

Tyler _fucking_ Lockwood—why had he come to England?

"_Caroline_." The sound of her name on his tongue almost knocked the wind out of her. She wasn't _ready_ to face him yet…she didn't know if she ever would be. But there he was, appearing with Matt by his side—who also wore a guilty countenance.

Her gaze swept to Tyler as he approached her; a mixture of emotions crossing her face as she stared back at him. She was like a deer caught in head-lights, shock written across her face. But among the wave of feelings, the most prominent was distress. She did not want to be _there_…not when he was looking at her like _that._ Like he was _sorry_ and wanted her back, standing before her.

Before she could muster up anything to say she noted the sudden change of expression on the man's face as a warmth fell to the small of her back.

"_There_ you are, sweetheart." A smooth, accented voice announced beside her. "Sorry I'm late."

Her eyes swept to the man now standing beside her, his hand resting snugly on her hip. _Kol Mikaelson_—she hadn't expected anyone to come to her rescue, least of all him. What was he _doing_ there?

She returned her eyes to Tyler, who was staring pointedly at the new arrival. "Tyler this is Kol…"

"Her boyfriend." Kol interjected smoothly, pulling her closer to his side. His touch was…something almost _unexplainable_. His fingers pressed gently into her hip, comforting her.

"_Boyfriend_?" The Lockwood sounded unconvinced. He had _never_ been one to hold back what he was thinking—especially when it came to her.

"Yes." Kol said calmly.

Tyler raised a brow, turning his attention to the blond; wearing a look of disbelief. "_This_ guy is your _boyfriend_, Care?"

She didn't know _what_ to say for a moment. Could she really _lie_ to him…her head swam with answers to that question—the more prominent being _hell yes!_ He had hurt her, betrayed her. He _deserved_ to experience how she felt; even if it was based off a lie.

Caroline nodded in reply, turning into Kol's touch and wrapping her arms around his neck for effect as she spoke up. "Yes…he is."

Kol did well at hiding his surprise at her skillful acting. "She is just so _amazing_. Isn't she? God, I could just—"

He dipped his head down, pausing midsentence to lay a kiss on her. She froze at the feel of his lips pressing softly against her. He tasted of expensive wine, tongue dancing inside her mouth for what felt like eternity. She couldn't deny…he was a _phenomenal_ kisser. It was in the way his fingers caressed her face…the way his lips moved against hers with such…_need_.

When they pulled apart, their eyes met—she drew in a deep breath.

Tyler's expression was crestfallen as he stared between them. "_Oh._"

"The names Kol Mikaelson." Kol continued, acting as if he did not notice the sudden in change in mood in the man.

"I'm Elena and this is my boyfriend Matt." The brunette finally spoke up, reminding the others of her and the Donovan's presence. She was playing along too it seemed, knowing full well that the blond wasn't really dating at all. If it weren't for that and the fact that Caroline loved the girl to death she was sure she probably would have _killed_ her for setting her up like this—even though she figured it was only with the prompting of her boyfriend and best friend of Tyler.

"Tyler." The now brooding man added.

Kol nodded, grinning back at them. "How about a round of drinks, on me."

:}{}{}{}{:

Caroline allowed him to pull her away to the bar, giving them a moment _finally_ to themselves.

"What are you doing here?" She inquired, sliding into an unoccupied barstool while they waited for one of the bartenders to get to them.

He raised a brow in question. "Was I wrong? I thought that look on your face when you saw _Tyler_ was the universal sign for _someone kill me_."

The blond scoffed. "That was _not_ what I was thinking."

Kol tilted his head, peering down at her with interested blue orbs. She rolled her eyes. Why did he have to be so…

"_Fine_. You were right." He grinned at her admittance. The cleft in his chin ever more prominent. _Fuck_…why did he have to be _so…cute?_ "So, _thank you_. Really."

"It was nothing, sweetheart." Kol replied smoothly, eyes falling to her lips for a moment before returning her stare. "I quite enjoyed myself."

Heat rose to her cheeks at his words. The man was a charmer, she'd give him that. But that still didn't tell her _what_ he was doing there. It couldn't be a coincidence that they'd decided on going to the _same_ club that night. Fate was _never_ that kind.

"Wha—you still haven't answered my question?" She reminded him, running a hand through her loose, blonde curls. She more than surprised to find that she didn't mind her rescuer being the man she'd seen naked mot too long ago.

"I wanted to see you again." Kol admitted gently. Her eyes softened—gazing into his. She felt a familiar flutter in her stomach…_butterflies_. Shit! That was _never_ a good sign.

"How did you know I'd be here?" Caroline inquired in response, brows scrunching together in thought. "You're not following me, are you?"

He smirked, shaking his head. "If I remember correctly, you practically _told_ me where you were going."

Now she really was confused. "What are you talking about?"

The Mikaelson chuckled. "You said you were going to a _new_ club. And as I recall _**Vive**_ has only been open for a few weeks. I made an educated guess."

Caroline bit her lip, holding back her own laugh. Of course, the man was smart _too_.

She was two for two with the Mikaelson brothers now it seemed, having kissed _both_; though admittedly she was drunk when she'd made-out with Nik. Did that _really_ count?

"So, who is that bloke?" Kol asked bluntly, peering over his shoulder to where Tyler sat wearing a scowl.

"My ex." The blond answered after a beat.

"You dated _that_?" He inquired a gentle interest in his voice. Caroline cringed, nodding her in reply. This was the first time talking about her relationship with the Lockwood, with someone that _wasn't_ Bonnie or Elena, since her breakup.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

A bartender had caught sight of them waiting, approaching them before she could muster an answer.

"What can I get you?" The redhead asked, eyeing Kol as if she was starving and he was the last supper. The man didn't even bat an eyelash at her, ordering up a round of shots for them, before returning his attention to Caroline.

The bartender looked between the two before flouncing away, a put-off expression on her face.

"She was flirting with you." Caroline informed him, as if he had not realized that.

He shrugged, eyes following her. "I'm not interested. I quite prefer blondes."

Caroline blushed yet again, gazes falling to her feet before deciding it was best to return to the subject of discussion. "Tyler—he _cheated_ on me. That's why we're not together anymore…"

Kol's beautiful, blue orbs softened. "He's an _idiot_."

The blond lips quivered as she stared up at him. He was right. Tyler was an _idiot_ for cheating on her. But she was an even bigger _idiot_ for letting his past indiscretion dictate her love life.

"Yeah, he is." She agreed, a rush of ease washing over at getting that off her chest.

"What I mean is…he's an idiot for _ever_ letting you go." Kol reiterated, gazing intensely into her eyes. His accent made his words all the richer with meaning. Looking into his eyes…it was like she was drowning. And in the moment, she was perfectly _okay_ with it.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** To my _**reviewers**_: Thank you for your kind words and enthusiasm for this fic! They really help me when writing. Also, I got the inspiration (i.e. the template) for the fic's image from this Vampire Diaries pic on tumblr I caught a glimpse of today. I didn't want to do too much with the cover. Hope it's still good to look at.

To **StefanxKlaus14**: Thank you for your incredibly delightful review. At this point it's up in the air as to who Caroline ends up with. :)

To **clrntlvr620**: Thank you! I always figured Kol would be the type to take advantage of a bad situation, which was why I wanted him to be the one to come to the rescue. I wouldn't mind much either. ;)

To** angelvboo**: Haha thank you so much! That's amazing to hear and I am glad you liked the chapter. Who knows, maybe she'll end up with both…you'll just have to wait and see. ;)

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose

A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore

A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active

She looks good

The girl's attractive

**_The Girl's Attractive_**_, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**IV**

It wasn't that she was in love with the man. No. She'd simply saw him in a _whole_ new light. He was like those noble knights in fairytales marching in to rescue the damsel in distress. Not _just_ the sex-crazed she'd originally pegged him to be. In fact, since they'd met she hadn't heard any of the noise that had kept her up at night. Now, what stirred her from her sleep were her dreams. _Fantasies_ really…of her and Kol…she bolted out of bed in a cold sweat, heart pounding in her chest at the dream she'd had. It had _only_ been a day since their kiss and already things were getting out of control.

Elena had called her after their night out, leaving a lengthy message on her machine about the turn of events; bombarding her with questions that she just wasn't _ready_ to answer. Truthfully, she'd felt betrayed that Elena hadn't warned her about Tyler…she wasn't _mad_…just sick to her stomach at seeing the man again.

But Kol had eased her nerves, standing by her side the _entire_ night. Tending to her as any _good_ boyfriend would do…rubbing salt into the wound that her new _relationship_ had seemed to cause the Lockwood. He was gentle and _sweet_.

And there in lied the _problem_. Now that she'd seen that side of him…she was starting to _like_ him. He'd walked her to her flat door that night, planted a soft kiss on her cheek and was gone before she could formulate anything witty to say about his impeccable ability at playing a _pretend_ boyfriend.

Caroline groaned, rolling out of bed and dragging her feet across the cold, hardwood floor to the bathroom. She had another meeting with the Mikaelsons' today. One she wasn't looking forward to. For _obvious _reasons. The prospect of being in a confined space with the _only_ two men she'd kissed since Tyler was nerve wrecking in itself…but wondering whether or not Nik _knew_ about the night she shared with his brother…now that was even more stressful. She didn't know _how _she was supposed to act around the two anymore...And on top of all of that, she still _hadn't_ even booked the catering. Pearl was going to kill her if this event didn't go off without a hitch.

:}{}{}{}{:

"Please tell me you brought me the java juice oh great Caffeine fairy?" Lexi asked lamely, meeting the blond at the elevators.

Caroline startled, being pulled from her ever w_andering_ thoughts on the matter of the Mikaelson brothers. A knowing look crossed her companion's face, brow rising in question before pulling her along into her unoccupied office before closing the door behind her.

"Spill." Lexi ordered, crossing her arms over her chest and studying her friend with interest. She could _always_ tell when something was on her mind.

"I kissed Kol." Caroline blurted out, eliciting a gasp from the other blond before she corrected herself. "Or rather he kissed me."

"When did this happen? Was it good?" The Branson rattled off question after question, eyes lighting up with a new enthusiasm. She paused for a moment to catch her breath before a something occurred to her. "Wait…that's not what's bothering you…is it?"

Caroline shook her head, casting her eyes down at the floor as she thought back to the other night. "Tyler is back in town."

Lexi's mouth hung open in surprise at the news. She had never met the man, but after hearing what he'd done to Caroline…what he put her through…she wouldn't have minded running into him and giving him a piece of her mind. And a boot up the ass.

"Are you okay, Care?" The older blond asked gently, placing a comforting arm on her shoulder. She knew how hard Tyler's cheating had impacted her friend. Knew that she'd cried herself to sleep for the longest time when the two had been living under the same roof for a short period of time.

Caroline nodded her head with a sigh. "I am. I _really_ am. But…if it wasn't for Kol, _swooping_ in and saving me from that train wreck of a night I'm not sure if I would be."

"Oh, you and Kol hit it off then?" Lexi inquired with interest, raising her brows suggestively with a sly grin on her face. "Who's the better kisser? Kol or Nik?"

Caroline flushed, rolling her eyes at her friend at the _ridiculous_ question, because _really_, they were grown women, not gossiping teenagers anymore. "No comment."

"Come on," The older blond exclaimed, throwing her hands to the sky— "The _people_ want to know. It's your civic duty to women everywhere."

"Civic duty, huh?" Caroline chuckled. Sometimes she wondered about the woman. "I have to prepare for a meeting."

"Meeting? Would that happen to be with the Mikaelson brothers that _also_ happen to be your _sexy_ English neighbors?"

"Yes. That would be them." Caroline confirmed with a weary smile. "Why?"

"Oh, it's just; they've been waiting in your office for the last ten minutes." The Branson said with a sigh, devilish grin on her face. "I think _Anna_ is doing her best to distract them."

The image of the _last_ client she had Anna keep busy sent a chill down her spine. That had _not_ been a happy camper.

"Things just keep getting better and better."

:}{}{}{}{:

"I'm sorry I'm late." She announced as she swept into her office, three sets of eyes turning to take in her apologetic expression.

"It's quite alright." The younger Mikaelson spoke up, sending her a warm smile, blue orbs following her movements. Watching the way her hips swayed as she made her way to her desk, setting down her bag before taking her seat.

"Thank you, Anna." The blond said curtly. Annabelle gave a halfhearted smile before retreating out of the room, leaving them alone. Caroline turned attention to the two men sitting before her, sliding into _professional_ mode. "Now, I've managed to book the ballroom at the Bovey Cas—"

Nik cut her off before she could continue, scowl firmly in place. "You kissed Kol."

The blond was a bit taken aback. She hadn't known what to expect, but she didn't think either of them would bring it up as it wasn't a matter of _business_. She tilted her head, staring back at him through narrowed eyes as she leaned forward in her seat.

"_He_ kissed me." She said with frankness. "Not that it is any of your business. Which is _what _I thought we were here to discuss."

"You kissed me back, sweetheart." Kol interjected, daring her to say otherwise. So what if she'd kissed him back? She was _quickly_ growing to regret that decision.

"I can't believe we're having this discussion." Caroline blew out a breath, bringing her hand to her temple and rubbing the spot gently. "_Yes_ I kissed Kol, Nik. I kissed you too. Your point?"

"You can't—you can't just_ toy_ with us, love." Niklaus grumbled, face akin to a kid who wasn't getting his way. He was hurt, she realized. She'd hurt the man in some way.

"Toy with you?" The blond inquired in shock, crossing her arms over her chest as the two nodded in unison. "You think I'm _toying_ with you?"

""Well, quite frankly, yes, sweetheart." Kol spoke up this time. There was a level of uncertainty in his voice, unsure if he should continue or not. When he saw that she wasn't going to interrupt him just yet he added truthfully, "You kissed _poor_ Nik here, who hasn't been able to get his mind off you since. And now it seems you've gone and worked your voodoo on me, too. It's really quite unfair."

Caroline scoffed, mind racing with _all kinds_ of thoughts on how this situation was spiraling out of control and she'd _only_ kissed them. This wasn't going to end pretty. She looked between the two brothers, catching their gaze for only a moment before averting her blue orbs onto some _unimportant_ object on her desk.

"I did not mean for it to seem like I was…_toying_ with either of you. That was not my intention." She said softly, so low the Mikaelsons' had to lean forward in their seats to catch her words. "I don't know why I even—okay, well I know why I kissed you. But I shouldn't have. You're clients…It's very _unprofessional_ on my part…"

"Why?" Nik's sweet, accented voice interjected her semi-apology; wearing a look of interest. "Why did you kiss us?"

She stared between the two for a moment as silence filled the room, both waiting for some explanation. Her lip quivered slightly as she spoke. "I just feel this…_attraction_…to you both. I can't really explain it."

The two nodded in understanding, as if they knew _exactly _what she was referring to. There was a gleam in their blue orbs that she hadn't noticed before; a silent message, unspoken between the brothers.

"The question now is…who do you _want_?" Kol inquired, brow raised in inquiry.

Truth be told, she didn't know _who_ she wanted. Or even _what _she wanted for that matter. Both were incredibly attractive with their smashing English accents…they were incredible kissers…there was just something _special_ about them.

"I—I don't…" She paused, wondering if they should _really_ be talking about this. Was she really ready to get involved with another man, let alone get in between brothers? "I need _time_."

Nik ducked his head down in thought. "If that's what you need we'll give it to you. Time to figure out whom it is you want, love."

Caroline was slightly confused by his words. He couldn't be suggesting what she presumed him to be suggesting. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious, sweetheart," Kol said smoothly. She found herself unable to look away from his intense stare, "You'll have to _date_ us both. That way you'll know _who_ it is you really want."

Her life just got a _whole_ lot more complicated.

:}{}{}{}{:

"What did you say?" Bonnie inquired with fervent enthusiasm in her voice. This had to have been the most exciting thing to happen to her since jumping the pond to visit her and the brunette. Of course she had to tell _someone_, and she wasn't quite talking to Elena at the moment. It wasn't that she was still mad at the Gilbert anymore, more _afraid_ as to who might answer her phone if she called.

"I didn't know what to say…" Caroline admitted, recalling the awkward silence that had filled her office after Kol had made the suggestion. She's been shocked into silence…until her brain went into autopilot. "And then out of _nowhere _I found myself actually_ agreeing_ to date both of them. I _can't _do this…That's crazy, right? "

Bonnie shrugged. "Well, not really if you think about it. I mean, Care, you _haven't_ so much as kissed another guy since your breakup with Tyler, and then suddenly these two _gorgeous_ guys move into the flat next door to you and just _happen_ to be your newest clients. I think Grams would say this was _fate_."

"I'm pretty sure Grams would say finding an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels in the cupboard was _fate_ too, but I don't think it'd be a smart idea to stare down the bottom of an empty bottle." The blond retorted jokingly. Was she really going to take the advice of a woman who was a know alcoholic?

"_Really_, Care. Think about it for a minute. You kissed them for a reason, didn't you? You were _attracted_ to them. Something about them made you push past this _barrier_ you've had around you since Tyler cheated." Bonnie stated more firmly, sounding like her usual _logical_ self. "Maybe this is what you need. To help you finally get past Tyler and move on with your life."

_Silence._ It was hard to fight her friend's logic. Maybe she was right; just like Damon had been. She _had_ avoided any form of a romantic connection with every man that crossed her path. But not with the Mikaelson brothers. No, something about them made her act differently. Maybe, what she truly needed was to stop holding back in life and finally start living again.

"You're _absolutely_ right." The blond spoke up, with a new vigor in her voice. "I've been letting the past hold me back for too long…well, not anymore!"

"That's the spirit, Care." Bonnie grinned, standing from the blond's couch. "Now, who do you have a date with _first_?"

"Nik," Caroline said, remembering the very silent, but heated debate between the brothers to see who got to take the girl out first. She'd tuned out their bickering…lost in her own surprised thoughts at agreeing to such nonsense. "He's taking me out to dinner. _Tonight_."

Bonnie's grin grew, if it were possible at the news. "Oh, where is he taking you? And what are you going to wear?"

_Fuck!_ In all the excitement she hadn't even thought about what she might wear. What did one wear on a first date? God, she was _so bad_ at this whole newly dating thing. She shrugged in chagrin.

"Well, this just won't do." Bonnie chirped up, patting her friend's knee gently. "It looks like we're going to have to bring in the _big guns_."

She _could not_ mean who she thought she meant. The blond shook her head, expression slipping quickly into a pleading one. "Please, tell me you don't mean—"

"Oh, _yes_. That's _exactly_ who I'm referring to."

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** Katerina simply looks like Elena. They are NOT identical in this fic. Sorry it has been a few weeks since I last updated. I recently moved and have slowly been transitioning and unpacking my things. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose

A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore

A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active

She looks good

The girl's attractive

**_The Girl's Attractive_**_, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**V**

"You were _right_ to come to me for assistance. I mean…_honestly_ Caroline. You've gotten yourself into a bit of a predicament."

If she'd been given the choice, the _last_ person she'd want to go to for help would have been a woman _Damon_ had dated. Someone who'd actually…slept with the manwhore. But, she couldn't deny the fact that, when it came to the subject of men, the brunette was _good_. She'd have to be to maintain such a close blond with the Salvatore who could never manage to be in a relationship with any particular woman for an extended period of time.

But then again, Rose wasn't just _any_ woman. She was also a designing consultant for some of the most _infamous_ boutiques in England.

"See! _This_ is what I'm talking about," Caroline exclaimed, raising her hands in the air in exasperation as the brunette scrutinized her through a narrowed gaze. She loved the older woman to _death_, they shared a mutual amusement when it came to Damon _the Gigolo_, but when it came to offering up help with her love life, well, she was just a bit…_uneasy_

"What can you do for her, Rose?" Bonnie inquired from her perch at the end of the cot. Caroline sent the girl a scowl, crossing her arms over her chest. It annoyed her when the two ignored her protests. She _really_ did not need any help for her date. All this was purely ridiculous.

"Is it just dinner?" Rose asked thoughtfully, wearing a pensive expression. "Or is it _dinner_?"

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at the blond. Caroline rolled her eyes, scoffing at the implication. Just because she agreed to go to dinner with both brothers, didn't mean that she had any intention of sleeping with either of them. She'd learnt her lesson with Tyler. She wouldn't rush into _anything_. She did not know if she could endure anymore heartbreak.

"Dinner." Caroline replied smoothly. Rose and Bonnie shared a knowing look as the moment passed. She _hated_ when they gave each other that look. She knew _exactly _what that look meant.

"Definitely _dinner_." Bonnie objected, nodding her head to reaffirm her answer. The blond scoffed, again ignored by her two companions, one of which had by then disappeared through the open doorway of her closet.

"It's _just_ dinner." The blond said more firmly. She still could not believe she _agreed_ to going out with both of the Mikaelson brothers. She blamed it on a moment of weakness. She hadn't _felt_ the way either of them made her feel in _such_ a long time…the strange sense of power at being…_desired_. Something she hadn't experienced since her breakup.

"Dinner with a _single_, attractive, Englishman is never _just_ dinner, Caroline." Rose informed her matter-of-factly, reappearing before them holding in her hand a black garment bag. The blond sat up bit straighter in anticipation of what was inside. "_Now_…this is a little _something_ I picked up in a boutique in Paris."

Rose laid it out on her cot, taking a step back and allowing Caroline to move forward toward it. She reached out, pulling down the zipper slowly, eyes widening at the sight of the cream colored dress inside. It was possibly the most _gorgeous_ thing she'd ever seen.

"You were right, Bon," Caroline said with an awed sigh. "She is _really_ good. This is…_perfect_."

:}{}{}{}{:

There were many times she'd felt _less_ than beautiful. That time in pre-school when Matt had pulled on her pigtail and called her a cow, for instance. Another being, her thirteenth birthday—she'd fallen into a puddle of mud and had gotten it all over her yellow party dress. She'd cried for hours. But right now…wearing the short, cream colored dressed that fit her frame like a glove…she felt _incredible_. Like a _completely_ different person.

She was sophisticated…_worldl_y. _So unlike_ the woman she'd been after her breakup.

And she had Rose to thank for that. She suddenly had this new sense of confidence, like she could take on the world. Like she could look Tyler and the face and _not_ feel like crumbling into pieces.

A crisp knock sounded at the entrance to her flat, pulling her from her thoughts. A sudden wave of nerves washed over her, previous confidence evaporating, at the noise indicating _he_ was here, for her. Was she really about to do this? Go out with the man _and _his brother—

"You look _beautiful_."His very familiar voice offered sweetly. She blinked, eyes focusing on the man standing before her. She hadn't realized she'd moved to open the door until he spoke.

The sound of his voice caused the blond's lips to curve into a soft smile and she stared up into his blue orbs. There was such _mystery_ behind them. Her gaze fell over the rest of him, taking in the nice black suit he wore, blood red button down, silk shirt peeking out from beneath the jacket.

"_Thank you_." She responded meekly, stepping out into the hall and closing her door behind them.

He stared down at her for a moment, eyes never straying from her face. "Are you ready?"

Was she really ready for this? Inside she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs _NO!_ and lock herself inside her flat. But she couldn't live like that anymore. She _couldn't_ put her love life on hold any more just because she was afraid of being hurt again. She'd been doing it for too long. Wallowing in self-pity at the blow that had been given to her.

Caroline nodded her affirmation. This was the next chapter in her life, one that she needed to start living. "Yes. I'm ready."

:}{}{}{}{:

To say that she was _unimpressed_ would have been a blatant lie, because the moment Nik's black Porsche pulled up along the sidewalk for valet parking, her eyes widened at the sight of the restaurant he intended them to dine at for the night. It was a great white, stone building—oval shaped windows bordered with decretive engravings located on either side of the entrance. But before she could take in the rest of the impressive architecture, Nik was out of the car and opening up the passenger side door, offering a hand to her. The blond took his hand gingerly, an electric shock running up her arm and down her spine at the skin-to-skin contact. It was strange that such an innocent touch could elicit such a strong reaction. Their eyes meet for a moment as she climbed out of the car, a silent moment between them, before her date turned to hand his keys over to the middle-aged balding man wearing a red vest.

"Welcome back, Mr. Mikaelson," the man greeted before running around the car to park it.

Caroline waited until they'd enter and been _immediately_ seated, many of the staff stopping to personally greet the man, before voicing the question that had been on her mind since the valet had left them alone. "You take all your dates here?"

It was meant as a joke but the man did not laugh. Instead he stared across the table at her with a new found intensity. He shook his head before responding, "I used to come here with my mother."

Her brows scrunched together in thought, "_Used to_?"

"She…died a few years ago." He informed her, eyes drifting away from her at the subject.

Caroline reached a hand out, placing it over his, which had been resting on the tabletop—hoping to offer some sort of _comfort._ Sudden memories of her father flooded her mind.

"I am _so _sorry," She murmured gently as his eyes moved to meet her soft gaze. "I—I lost my father last year…I know how hard it can be sometimes."

"We're you two close?" Nik inquired curiosity in his voice, glad the topic had shifted on to her.

"We…between him and my mom he was the _one person_ who really understood me. I could be myself around him and know that he would just…accept me for me. Before he died…" The blond held back the few tears that threatened to fall, voice breaking, "…he asked my mom for a divorce. Apparently he'd fallen in love with someone else. A man from Tennessee with a young daughter…He just _walked away_ from me and my mom. It was like…we were suddenly not good enough for him. Like he needed something _more_."

Nik was silent for a moment, listening intently to her short tale. His expression was gentle, his fingers winding around hers, allowing his warmth to envelope each digit before he spoke up.

"He…obviously _hurt_ you, Caroline…but I think you…and I both know that he _loved_ you, too." He said in whisper, words though firm in the air. "He _accepted_ every aspect of who you are. Him leaving had _nothing_ to do with you. Trust me on this."

She simply stared at him for a moment, letting his words float around her head. It had been the _same_ thing her mother had told her. And for some reason, coming from him, it gave her more clarity. But then—that's how life worked out sometimes.

Before she could respond their waiter appeared. A young 20-something brunette that reminded her too much of Elena. She had long, lushes brown ringlets that fell past her shoulders, nice unblemished olive colored skin and luminous brown orbs. She took one look at Nik, lips curving into a ten million-watt smile.

"Mr. Mikaelson, welcome back." She exclaimed, completely ignoring the woman sitting before him.

"Katerina." He greeted curtly, even though she was looking down at him like he was a latest Prada bag and she simply _had _to have him. "This is Caroline."

It was at that moment that the brunette _finally_ turned to look at the blond, appearing less than impressed by her. Her mouth twisted into an unusually sour expression.

"Nice to meet you." She said in an overly sweet tone.

"You, too," Caroline responded quickly, though in reality she'd like _nothing_ more than to roll her eyes and scoff at her little act of niceties.

"Are you a friend of Niklaus?" Katerina inquired, using his full name with much familiarity. They _knew_ each other. How close _were_ they?

"_Actually_ Katerina, Caroline is my date for this evening," He spoke up before the blond could reply. In truth, she hadn't really known how to answer her question. It was only their first date…but they weren't entirely _friends._ In fact, aside from her mini-breakdown about her father's death they really knew _little_ about each other. "I was lucky enough to get her to _agree_ on this date, so if you'd please, I'd like to order…"

Caroline turned to look at him. Eyes mesmerized by him. It was amazing how only a few words, a simple rebuff, had he in a sudden new frame of mind. He'd paid no attention to Katerina after ordering for both of them, something Tyler had _never _done before. He'd simply turned his full attention on to her, silently commanding the brunette to leave them to themselves.

"How do you two know each other?" She inquired once the woman was out of earshot.

He shrugged, "She used to…_flounce_ about with my brother."

"Oh my god! Kol?" Caroline asked in surprise, bringing up the elephant in the room for the first time that night. Niklaus shook his head, partly amused.

"No, my older brother Elijah actually," He said, chuckling lightly. "They had a _relationship_ for a couple of years before he found out she'd slept with his assistant, Trevor. I believe that was the _first_ time I've seen my brother _that_ drunk."

"Wow. What a _bitch_." She muttered, suddenly reminded of the situation she was currently in. Wasn't she basically doing the same thing? Playing with two hearts? "Nik…"

"Yes?" He spoke up, hearing the hesitance in her voice, urging her to continue.

"Do—do you_ really_ think it's a good idea…me dating not only you, but your brother as well?" Caroline asked, finally pushing away her fears and hang-ups. "I mean, _this can't_ end well. You have to know that…"

"Caroline, _breathe_." Nik interjected, urging her to calm down by giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "We—me and Kol, we've talked about it. And no matter what, we _both _want to get the chance to know you. Even if it means having to work around each other. And no matter…_whoever _you choose…will be completely up to you…No hard feelings."

She didn't find it the least bit odd that the two had talked about it. Hell, Kol had told his brother about their kiss. There was little they probably _didn't_ talk about when it came to her. But to actually come to some _agreement_ over their mutual pursuit of her…now that was just _crazy_.

"Nik…" She breathed out, expression hardening as she thought out how events could possibly unfold for the worst. "Someone could get _hurt_."

The man stared her straight in the eyes, unflinching at the harsh truth of reality she'd just spoken. Something he'd been trying his best not to think about since striking up this little arrangement.

"Caroline…_you're_ worth the risk." He finally said with all the seriousness in the world as their gazes locked onto one another in a silent battle. It was hard to argue further with the arrival of their meals, effectively ending _that _particular discussion. Now she was left with a dilemma. Could she _really_ continue on with this escapade knowing _eventually _someone would be left out in the cold…that is if by the end of things she wanted either of them…or if either of them still wanted her for that matter?

:}{}{}{}{:

The night had gone smoothly. Talking with Nik was _easier_ than she'd anticipated. He was open about talking about his siblings. His baby sister, as it seemed, had been the light of his life since they day he first laid eyes on her bald little head. They way he talked about her…it was easy to see just _how much_ he loved the girl. And Elijah—his older brother, who was running the family business…well the way he talked about him, it was _obvious_ he idolized the man. Like he was on this pedestal of ultimate _goodness_ and that he respected the man dearly. When he brought up his older brother Finn there was only a distant content in his voice that spoke volumes. The two were apparently not as close as they'd been as children. The unexpected death of their youngest brother Henrik attributed to that. Nik said the boy had been only eleven when he'd been killed on impact in a car accident. A car _he'd_ been driving. He could _never_ completely forgive himself…or the man that had decided to drive that particular night after having one too many drinks at a local bar. Finn had been devastated, Nik had told her, and _angry_.

She understood him. She truly did. After he father died, all she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and blame herself. But her mom told her she _could not_ let her do that to herself. And so she'd _slowly_ let it go.

He'd walked her silently to her front door, guiding hand at the small of her back. It was a welcome touch, one she relished. But all too quickly it was gone and she was turning to say her goodbye for the night. Before she could say a word, her back was pressed into the door, his imposing frame looming over hers. She simply stared into his eyes, wondering what he planned to do next. But instead of ravishing her as she'd _hope_ he ducked his hand, planting a single, soft peck on her cheek before leaving her alone in their empty hallway.

She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, hand raising to where the warmth of his lips had marked her. In her mind, _that_ kiss had been _better_. It had been…something other than _sexual desire_. It alluded to the gentleness within him. And that made her wonder…_what did Kol have to offer that his brother didn't?_ Was he as sweet…as intelligent…it seemed that she'd get her answer. In due time. She just didn't know whether or not she was excited to find out.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long to update. I had been planning to update last week but then I had been given such a large work load that I hardly found time to sit down and write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. This seemed a bit rushed to me, but I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for an update any longer.

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose

A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore

A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active

She looks good

The girl's attractive

**_The Girl's Attractive_**_, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**VI**

She'd been avoiding even _thinking_ about it all day. Whenever it even came to the forefront of her mind she would quickly push it back, finding something more _trivial_ to occupy her thoughts. It wasn't that she was _afraid_ of going out with the younger Mikaelson. No, that wasn't it _at all_.

The thing she feared…more than _anything else…_was that she would _enjoy_ herself as much as she had with Klaus, maybe even more so. And that is what scared her…the notion that she would _actually_ have to choose between two great guys, something that had never seemed like a probable outcome for her love life.

In what kind of _fucked_ up world would it even be _okay_ to go out with brothers, at the same time?

She paced the floor of her office in thought.

"If you keep this up you're going to burn a hole, straight through the floor." Lexi chided playfully from her perch at the end of Caroline's desk. The older blond sent her knowing look, smile playing at her lips before she continued. "When is your date with Kol tonight?"

Caroline groaned. She'd been _desperately_ trying to avoid the topic of her plans for the night.

"Eight," She grumbled in response, running a hand through her carefully kempt blond hair.

"Do you know where he's taking you?" Lexi asked, not bothering to mask her enthusiastic interest. Well at least _one _of them was excited for her date.

The blond shook her head. That was the thing about Kol, she was beginning to learn. He liked to remain _mysterious_. He had simply sent her a cryptic text telling her to dress comfortably for their date. And that had been _it_. Not a single indication of _where_ they were going or even _what _they'd be doing.

"Ooooh maybe I can guess," Lexi said in response to her silent answer. "Dinne—no, he wouldn't even _attempt_ to follow up Klaus on that marvelous dinner you had last night. Maybe he's going to take you to some grunge-chic bar or to the theater to see some off-Broadway production!"

"Hate to burst your bubble Lex, but Kol never struck me as the _bibliophile_-type." Caroline interjected with slight amusement in her tone.

"_Really?_ Well, he struck me as the _hot sex_ having type." Her friend informed her shamelessly. "And I'm living my dream of dating two men at once _vicariously_ through you. So, don't start backing out of this just because you're _scared_. Man up."

:}{}{}{}{:

She brought her cellular to her ear, not even _bothering_ to read the name flashing across its screen.

"Hello." She muttered into the device, eyes skimming over the contents of her closet. Looking for _anything_ that fit the description Kol gave her on what to wear. Dressing _comfortably _could mean a number of things.

"_Caroline, hey…_" The familiar said breathily on the other end. _Elena_. The blond cringed, recalling that she hadn't talked to the girl since the whole Tyler debacle.

"Elena." Caroline greeted smoothly. It wasn't that she was _angry_ at the woman. It was just…she could have given her a fucking warning that her ex was in England or _something_.

"I am _so sorry_ about what happened! I mean, if I had thought for a minute that Tyler would want to play third wheel to me and Matt I wouldn't have invited you." The brunette said after a beat. Caroline could just imagine the girl beating herself up about it. She was seriously _worse_ than Stefan when it came to harboring guilt. A wave of sympathy washed over the blond for her friend. Sometimes it was hard to stay mad at Elena when she was so…_nice_. She'd never _intentionally_ try and hurt anyone.

"It's _okay_, Elena. _Really_. Just, warn a girl next time. _Okay?_" Caroline interjected, small smile playing at her lips at her friend's apology.

The brunette sighed on the other end. "So, what are you doing tonight? I was thinking we could go see that movie about those male strippers…"

"Actually, I already have plans tonight."

"Oh."

"I have a date _with Kol_." Caroline clarified for her, knowing the girl was probably thinking she was simply blowing her off. There was a moment of silence between them before Elena spoke up again.

"_Oh_! Really? _Wow. _That's great Care. You're finally putting yourself out there." The brunette informed her with a voice of approval. If _anyone_ knew how brutal her breakup with Tyler had been, it was Elena. Hell, she was dating his best friend after all. The blond was sure Matt had talked the Gilbert's ear off with trying to get the two of them back together. _As if_ that would _ever_ happen. But Elena had played the good friend and told him to stay out of it before any more damage was done. For _that_ Caroline had, since, been _eternally_ grateful. "Look, Matt just walked in with _you know who_, but call me when you get back. I want to hear _everything_. Okay? Have fun!"

And with that the brunette hung up. Caroline sighed, shoving her cell back into her pocket and returning her attention to the outfits laid out on her bed, trying to choose between the two. It was _such _a metaphor for her love life.

:}{}{}{}{:

"Are you visiting the North Pole?"

It was the first thing that came to her mind to say at Kol's appearance, after having opened the door to find him ready to take her out. He wore a pair of dark jeans that fit him deliciously snug, black boots that appeared worn, and a dark blue sweater that was so _obviously_ designer.

He smiled slyly at her, a glint in his eye indicating some secret that only he knew. There was that _mysteriousness_ she'd been talking about. She couldn't help the tingling in her stomach at the crease at his eyes as he stared down at her.

"You might want to grab a coat, sweetheart." Was all he said, raking his eyes over her form in appreciation, his tone barely masking amusement. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

He's a fucking _nut_; it's like ninety degrees outside, Caroline thought. She disappeared back into her flat and grabbed a coat out of her closet before returning quickly. She was beginning to hope this date would _end_ as quickly as it had begun.

"_So…where_ are we going?" She inquired, stepping out into the hall and locking the door behind her. He grinned down at her as they entered the elevator. The man brought a hand to his lips, making a zipping motion before pressing the down button. Something was _definitely _up. Caroline studied him the _entire_ way down, eyes narrowed in thought at his unwavering expression.

She just _couldn't_ figure him out. Where was he taking her that basically required that she dress like an Eskimo? The wheels turned in her head as she followed after him. She did her best to conceal the look of confusion that marred her features as he walked past the resident parking lot, crossing the street and slipping into an empty alleyway.

Caroline trekked after him silently, eyes dancing about her as they continued on for a good five minutes. After they'd turned down another alley she finally decided to speak up, voicing the question that had been echoing in her head since they'd abandoned his car as an optional mode of transportation.

"Where are we going Kol?" She asked, pausing when he came to a sudden halt.

"We're here." He stated simply. The blond looked over the seemingly old and crumbling edifice. He had to be _joking_. It looked as if it wouldn't stand another gust of wind.

"Kol—" He grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and through the entrance of the building. She closed her eyes, blinking rapidly so that they may adjust to the sudden burst of bright light that filled the space. A wave of cold air fanned across her face and as she opened her blue orbs a gasp escaped her lips. They stood at the entrance of an ice rink…a few people gliding across the expanse of white frost.

Her lips twitched, a smile growing on her lips at the sight.

"This place was _very hard _to find." Kol murmured into her ear, a hand falling to the small of her back as he guided the way toward the skate rental. "_But_ I do have my ways."

Caroline found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the man as he got them each a pair of ice-skates. It was…_incredible_…to think that something like _this_ was just a few blocks away from her flat. And she'd never known.

As a kid she'd _loved_ ice-skating. In Mystic Falls there had been no ice rink, the closet one had been an hour out of town. But on the weekends, when her mother had the day off, she'd take Caroline, Bonnie and Elena down to the rink. They'd flounce about in puffy tutus—because what ice-skater _didn't_—and pretended to be Kristi Yamaguchi.

"_How did you—_" She stammered, unable to even fathom how that man would know she ice-skated.

A sly grin crept on his face. "That Anna _sure_ is helpful. She was happy to inform me that you've _loved loved loved _ice-skating since you were a little girl."

The blond mentally rolled her eyes, recalling the night she and the brunette had spilled their life stories to one another over bourbon. _Of course_, she'd be the one to spill her guts to a Mikaelson on the subject of her.

"I wasn't _that_ enthusiastic." Caroline found herself saying in a surprisingly flirtatious tone. They sat down at a bench and began putting on their ice-skates. "I just happened to be _descent_ at it."

Kol smiled widely, standing to his feet after knotting his laces. He offered her his hand, helping her to her feet. "Let's see about that. Shall we?"

She nodded.

They glided along, dancing around each other with such intricacy many could only stop and watch. Caroline was a bit surprised at how _graceful_ the Mikaelson appeared to be on ice. She felt heat rise to her cheeks as he reached out and grasped her hand, lacing their fingers together.

"Tell me about yourself, Caroline." He spoke up after a few moments of silence.

The blond stared at him in thought at his sudden request. She _had_ told Nik about herself. She owed his brother the same, she supposed.

"I am an only child." Was the first thing to sprung from her lips.

"_That_ must have been _lonely_." Kol interjected before she could continue. She simply shrugged in response.

"I had my friends, who are like my _sisters_. They've always been there. Since the sandbox." Caroline said with a thoughtful expression. "They're still there for me when I need them…what about you?"

"As you already know I'm _far_ from an only child…" A pause as their eyes met in silent understanding. There was that _elephant_ in the room—only, this time his name was Niklaus. Her eyes fell to her feet and before she realized what was happening she was being pulled to the ground as a skater swept past them. The larger, bulkier man had apparently bumped into Kol, causing him to lose his balance and fall, taking Caroline down with him.

She landed on hard chest with an _oof_, eyes scaling up dark, blue sweater and meeting the surprised expression of the Mikaelson. Her most _intimate _center was pressed firmly against his, and a warm pool of intensity rushed to the pit of her stomach at their position. Caroline stared down at him as he brought a hand up, pushing a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear. It was a gentle touch…an _affectionate_ gesture that brought a series of different feelings running through her. She didn't know _how_ she felt...at that moment…about _either_ of the Mikaelson men. She pushed herself off him quickly, getting to her feet and straightening out her jacket. A hand fell to her shoulder, drawing her attention away from the insignificant article of clothing.

Her eyes trailed up the hand, arm, shoulder, neck until she took in the warm expression on Kol's countenance. He was…_smiling_…a genuine smile on his usually smug face.

Kol ducked down, capturing her lips in one swift movement. He tasted of licorice and something else she couldn't place. A very _pleasant_ taste. The utter warmth of his lips…pushed back the cold that had crept over them since their arrival. And _all too quickly_, the feeling was replaced with emptiness as he drew away slowly.

It was with _that_ kiss that she realized she was in trouble. How would she be able to choose a brother when both were just so…_tempting_ to her. She bit her bottom lip, watching after the man as he skated away a second later as if _nothing_ had happened, hands clasped leisurely behind his back.

"_Oh boy_," She breathed out, running a hand through her hair. "I'm in trouble."

:}{}{}{}{:

"I'm jealous." The girl admitted, popping a potato chip into her mouth between words. "I always thought _I'd_ be the one with two insanely hot Brits fighting for my affections."

Bonnie snorted with laughter, taking the bag of chips from the older blond before popping one in her mouth too.

"Lexi, don't be stupid. We _all know_ how much you prefer your men Italian." The Bennett quipped, passing the bag over to Caroline before continuing. "It's not easy to forget that time you and Damon—"

Lex brought a hand up, effectively silencing her as a look of disgust at the memory flashed across her face. "_Please_, let's _not_ go there. It's bad enough that I lived through it _once_…"

Her companions laughed, remembering the night they'd showed up at the older blond's apartment unannounced to find her and Damon and a…_compromising _position. As in, the two were making out in the kitchen, on the verge of having sex. _Luckily_, the two had shown up when they did because they _knew_ how much Lexi would hate herself afterwards if it had progressed that far.

"My ears are burning," Speak of the devil, and he _shall_ appear. Their heads turned to the entrance of Lexi's flat as the Salvatore appeared, his younger, _better_ half trailing behind him with a bag of groceries.

"Hey, Stef," The three said in unison, completely _ignoring_ Damon.

A warm hue graced Stefan's cheeks as he nodded in their direction, uttering a gentle greeting in return. Stefan had always been the _softer, kinder_ Salvatore brother.

"What's going on? What are we talking about?" Damon inquired, plopping down on the sofa beside Caroline, slinging an arm around her shoulder absentmindedly. "Hair? Makeup? _Boys?_"

The trio rolled their eyes at the man's antics. Same old same old when it came to Damon Salvatore.

Stefan disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, to put away the groceries they'd gotten before returning with an inhuman like speed.

"What's going on?" He inquired with a hint of interest, sliding into the empty space beside Lexi.

"Why does everyone think something is _going_ on?" Caroline snapped, which was _unusual_ for her since she was usually bright and chipper.

The younger Salvatore raised a brow, "Now _I know_ something is going on."

The blond sighed, crossing her arms over her chest in defeat. She'd been caught. There was _no use_ trying to hide anything from the man now. She was sure someone—_Damon_—would tell him soon enough.

"I'm dating somebody." She informed him. There was a moment that passed. His face scrunched up in confusion at the news, unsure of what was _so shocking_ about it. "_Actually _two somebodies...brothers, who _happen_ to be my neighbors. Oh and newest clients."

Stefan's mouth hung agape in shock, brows higher on his forehead than they'd ever been as he took in what she'd just said.

"You're right, Care." Bonnie said a beat later, sly grin playing at her lips. "Hearing it now, out loud, you _kinda_ sound like a trollip."

Damon burst into laughter at the retort, practically shaking the blond that sat beside him.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at the woman, reading a snippy remark when Lexi cut her off. "But we still love you! And we are _so proud_ of you for putting on your big girl panties and putting yourself out there."

"Yeah, Care." Stefan said, after composing himself, offering a warm smile. "I'm happy you're finally moving on from Tyler. You deserve to be happy."

The blond could not contain the bright smile that seemed to stretch across her mouth in delight at his words. If _Saint Stefan_, as Damon had dubbed him, was okay with her going out with two men at once, then _maybe_ it meant it was okay. At least, _for now_. It wasn't as if she were _sleeping_ with either of them.

"Just…" His tone grew serious as he stared intently at her, "_…be careful. Okay?_"

She nodded slowly as conversation shifted to Damon and the woman he'd brought home the night before. Her mind wandered with his warning, keeping her from getting any sleep that night.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** the boys next door

**Pairing:** Caroline/Klaus; Slight Caroline/Kol; and some Caroline/Damon (if you squint)

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** Language and Sexual Situations

**Author's Note:** It's been a while since I've updated. Life's been hectic and I've been getting a lot of good ideas for new fics. So, I wanted to update before I tried starting another fic. If you haven't checked out my Caroline/Eric fic and you're a fan of the ship or just a general _True Blood_ fan I encourage you to check it out. I'd love your feedback! This chapter is kind of short because I am preparing to go on a trip but I wanted to update before I leave.

* * *

She looks good swiss cheese put your head from the hose

A pistol's sneaking tease more than I can ignore

A quick lap round the track, man, she's keeping me active

She looks good

The girl's attractive

**_The Girl's Attractive_**_, Diamond Nights_

* * *

**VII**

She bit her bottom lip, brow raised slightly in consideration. She had been _trying_ to ignore the intense gaze sending sensations of warmth throughout her body all afternoon as the two made their way around the gallery. The blond tilted her head, taking in the contemporary painting hanging from the bland, white backdrop.

A cough disrupted her train of thought. _Nik_. She sent him a sideways look that read _seriously?_ before rolling her eyes and continuing on to the next piece of display.

"What did you think of _that_ one, love?" He inquired, accent thick as he spoke. She sighed, a shake of the head being her only response.

They were officially on their second date—which meant that her first date with Kol had only been _three_ days ago. Three days for her to sit in her room and contemplate which Mikaelson suited her better…which had the better smile…which one _smelt_ better (a hard decision when Nik smelt of his own masculine musk and cinnamon, while Kol's scent was more sweet and earthy)…

She'd been surprised to learn that Niklaus had a fondness for art. And even _more _surprised to discover he owned his own gallery in England. Of course, she'd simply _had _to see it.

"It was too—_violent_." Her face scrunched up with distaste and Nik chuckled at the display before ushering her over to a more _pleasant _visage.

It was of a horse—a beautiful dark mare. A small smile curved at the edge of her lips as she took it in, eyes shimmering with sudden delight.

"You like it?" The man prodded gently, noting the unexpected shift in her exterior. She nodded, staring up at him with that brilliant smile.

"When I was a little girl…my mom used to take me, Bonnie and Elena to the stables on the Lockwood property. It was nothing fancy, you know, but there was this one horse…I named her Apples." At his expression she gave a sheepish shrug, "She _really _liked apples, anyway…she was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen, not taking into account that I was eight and the only other horses I'd ever seen had been old and grey. But Apples, she had this mane that was darker than the night sky sometimes…"

"I loved horses when I was a boy, too." Nik informed her after a moment of silence passed between them. "My favorite horse…well, quite frankly _died_, but…I rode that horse whenever I could. Took him out of the stables twice a week…Bekah even learned how to ride on that horse…It was like he'd been part of the family."

Caroline nodded sympathetically. She recalled crying for hours after she'd received a call informing her that Apples had passed.

"Sometimes, the things you love…you _lose_," He said so softly she'd almost missed it. The blond was afraid to admit she found his sensitivity _alluring_ in the strangest of ways. There was _more _to him then met the eye, and she wondered if the same could be said about Kol.

There she went again, thinking about one brother while she was with the _other._ She was _pathetic_…and deranged if she thought this was going to end well.

She cleared her throat, letting her eyes wander around the patrons of the small gallery a few doors down from an old pub. "_So_…where's _your_ art?"

She had been waiting for this in practically all morning. It was exciting…and nerve wrecking to see a bit into the soul of the man who could potentially be _the one_.

A grin graced his countenance, dimples _epic-ally_ on display for her. "Now, love, I don't show a girl my art until _at least_ the third date."

:}{}{}{}{:

There was a thin line between love and hate. She _loved _Stefan, but _hated_ Damon—well at least a majority of the time. But at that moment, they were the only two she had, seeing as Elena had been whisked away to some cottage on the country side by Matt and Lexi and Bonnie had decided to have a day at the spa (and not invite her).

She stared between the two Salvatores, taking in their mirrored expressions of amusement.

"This is _not_ funny!" Caroline exclaimed eyes wide and wild, looking from Stefan to Damon.

The younger Salvatore scratched the back of his neck, "Actually it _kind_ of is, Care. I mean—you practically were _begging_ to see his art and now you're freaking out about whether or not it's going to be good."

"I'm with Blondie on this one," Damon spoke up, surprising the woman. The feeling of appreciation quickly vanished as he continued. "I mean, I dated this one chick…_seriously hot_…that thought she was a poet. Like the next Jane Austen or something…the problem was she couldn't write to save her fucking life. Honestly, the shit she spouted was enough to make _me_ want to kill _myself_. She was a good lay, though."

"_Wow,_ Damon. You've reached a new level of _asshole_." Caroline jibbed, recalling the woman in question being one of the girls from her old high school cheer-leading team that had come to visit her and Elena only a few months ago.

He shrugged, grin firmly in place. "You came to _us _for advice Blondie, remember?"

"If I _remember_ correctly, I came to Stefan for advice and you decided to be an _ass_ and add your two cents where it isn't wanted."

She crossed her arms over her chest, scowling back at him.

"_Whoa_, feisty! I think you're _seriously_ letting this dating-two-brothers-at-the-same-time get the better of you, Care." Damon said, brows returning to their usual perch, standing from his seat in one swift movement. "You really need to invest in some yoga."

"Damon," Stefan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose at his brother's abrasiveness. "_Not helping_…like at all."

The green eyed man returned his attention to the blond, offering a sympathetic smile—one he'd been using frequently since hearing about her quasi-ménage a trios. His kindness was simply _one_ of the reasons _he_ was her best friend.

"Honestly, Care, I think you're over thinking this a bit." The Salvatore admitted gently, before continuing. "I mean, so what if he's a shitty artist? I'm sure he'd appreciate your honesty, whether or not you like his work."

"Yeah, Blondie," Damon interjected with a thoughtful expression—_for once_. "If he can't accept your honesty, and it's brutal sometimes, then tell him to fuck off and go on your merry way with his brother—what's his name? Kol?"

The blond rolled her eyes, though mentally she hated to admit she found herself agreeing with him. She had allowed herself to bend to the whims of Tyler when they'd been dating. There were things she could _never_ be honest with him about because she _knew_ he would develop a complex about it or through a bitch fit over her lack of _sensitivity_ and support. She couldn't—wouldn't allow herself to hold back how she really felt. And _if_ Nik was serious about showing her his art then he'd just have to accept whatever way she felt about it, be it good or horrendously _bad_.

:}{}{}{}{:

She stared down at the list of party guests—noting the ones Niklaus highlighted. They were _family. _Finn Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson, Kol Mikaelson, Klaus Mikaelson, and Mikael Mikaelson (a bit redundant, she thought, eyes dancing over the last name). Mikael—she didn't recall either Nik or Kol mention him. Was this another brother? Their father? The first name was familiar—Elijah had been the man that shared a past with Katerina (a.k.a. the _bitch_).

She'd managed to book high-profile decorators for the event. A Jonas and Luka Martin—a father and son duo that had made headlines for the last _extravagant_ event they'd been hired on to. And she had to admit…it felt good to _actually _be doing what the Mikaelson's hired her to do; especially when the party for their baby sister was now only a week away. That thought however, did little to ease the tension she felt in the pit of her stomach whenever she found herself in the company of Nik and Kol. She had yet to make a decision and she had her third date with Kol tonight. It was like she was some fence sitting politician that couldn't make up her mind. Where Nik was worldly, Kol was daring. Where Kol was amusing, Nik was intellectual. Put them in one body and they'd be the _perfect_ man.

Her eyes skimmed over the open folders littering her desk. She _definitely_ needed a break. Her hand moved to her phone, pressing the number combination designated for Lexi; waiting to hear her voice come over the speaker.

"_Pearl's Events and Planning_**, **this is Lexi speaking, how may I direct your call?" The blond rolled her eyes at her friend's overly chipper tone.

"Lex, it's me." Caroline muttered into the other end, leaning back in her seat, seeking the comfort of its plush back. "I need a break. Join?"

"Oh _thank god_! I've been sitting behind this desk for _at least_ four hours." The older blond breathed out hoarsely. "I _need_ some java juice oh mighty caffeine fairy."

"Meet me in ten."

Fifteen minutes later they were sitting across the street at a quaint café that reminded Care of the outdoor seating arrangement of the Mystic Grill back in Virginia. She stares down into the dark contents of her mug, hands wrapped around it, soaking in the warmth if provided her hands.

"_Spill_." Lexi commanded, like only she could, in a way that was both demanding and gentle.

"I have my third date with Kol tonight." The blond informed her, though it seemed her friends were already _well informed_ when it came to her ever entertaining love life. "I _really _like him, Lex."

"So you're choosing Kol?" Lexi inquired with obvious interest, chin resting on her wrists as she leaned forward to listen intently.

"No…that's the thing. I _really_ like Nik too. It's like they are completely different people…but everything about them that's different is equally appealing to me." Caroline explained, flailing her hands about her as she spoke with frustration. "I mean, not _one _of them has exhibited any red flags that would turn me completely off."

"Not one?" The older blond asked with surprise in her voice. The last guys she'd dated, before she'd met Lee, had _all _sent off some signals that had her running for the hills after the _second_ date.

Caroline shook her head. "Not a single thing. No nail biting, nose picking, ball scratching…_nothing_. And that's why I can't seem to decide. I mean—two _amazing_ men and they want me to choose between them after so many dates…it's insane."

"Well I _always_ knew you were a little crazy." Lex chuckled lightly, smile brimming on her face as she continued. "Maybe you should make a list of Pros and Cons."

"Pros and Cons?"

"Yeah, you know a list of reasons why you should pick Nik or why you should pick Kol. That sort of thing." Lexi explained.

"Lex, I can't make a decision like this based off some list." Caroline said wait a sigh, shaking her head, "This is something that…requires listening to my gut. Do what it's telling me to do. I didn't do that when I was with Tyler and I'm the one that got burned. So now I have to."

And her gut was telling her she need to make a decision. _Soon_. Before anyone got too attached. She was giving herself until the third date for each, and then she'd make her choice. No matter what she had to make a choice. She couldn't be the kind of girl to string anyone along. Kol and Nik deserved better than that. _She_ was better than that.

Yeah, third date and then she _had_ to end it with one of them.

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_**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review.**_


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